Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

  The Minister of Transport Peter Mutafchiev will attend the start of the “Automatic Train Control system” – ETCS realized together with Alcatel, Austria. The official opening ceremony will take place at 12 o’clock am, Monday, March 20, 2006, on the railway station Plovdiv.

The project has been financed from the PHARE Program, with the total value of 10.15 millions Euros. It includes delivery, assembly and putting in operation of the system in Plovdiv – railway junction and also in the section Stara Zagora – Burgas.

The start of the ETCS aims to ensure the safety of the train traffic. It will be helpful to the locomotive operator and will interfere, if his activities would cause a potential danger. First the system will warn the locomotive operator and in case he does not undertake the action necessary, the ETCS will automatically activate the emergency brake. The system consists of board equipment, which receives information about the railroad conditions. For that purpose, special railroad equipment has been installed in advance on the way.

Later on the same day, at 13.13 pm, Minister Mutafchiev will meet students in the Technical University hall in Plovdiv. The main theme of the discussion will be “The Development of the Transport Sector and realization of young people in the Transport System”    

 For additional information:
Vera Deianova, Press Centre,
Ministry of Transport
Phone: 940 95 34
E-Mail: vdeianova@mt.government.bg